Four outstanding individuals who've each made significant contributions to equine health and welfare were presented with some of the industry’s most important awards at BEVA Congress yesterday (Thursday 8 September 2016).

The BEVA Equine Welfare Award, sponsored by Blue Cross, was presented to Chief Executive of World Horse Welfare, Roly Owers

The Awards were established by BEVA, in conjunction with various sponsors, to reflect BEVA’s recognition of and support for significant accomplishments by equine vets and others involved in horse health and welfare.

The BEVA Equine Welfare Award, sponsored by Blue Cross, was presented to Roly Owers, veterinary surgeon and Chief Executive of World Horse Welfare. As Chief Executive of the charity since 2008 Roly has driven forward many major initiatives for the horse industry, most having a direct impact on animal welfare and disease prevention or control. He has used his position to develop programmes across the Equine Sector and has provided much needed dispassionate and effective leadership.

Roly has driven forward many major initiatives for the horse industry

His key achievements include the establishment of the Horse Crisis group of charities, a successful campaign for the Control of Horses Act, the production of guidelines for transporters, including feed and watering stops and total travel time allowances and a successful refinement of the Tripartite Agreement, which controls the movement of horses between Ireland, UK and France.

The BEVA Richard Hartley Clinical Award was given to Dr Annette McCoy for the paper ‘Short and long-term racing performance of Standardbred pacers and trotters after early surgical intervention for tarsal osteochondrosis’ by A.M McCoy, S.L Ralston & M.E McCue. The article was first published online in July 2014 and then July 2015, Volume 47, issue 4 of the Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ).

The award is given in memory of Richard Hartley, a founder member of BEVA and president from 1974 to 1975. It is awarded for evidence-based papers and the prize is intended to support travel of the senior author and/or co-authors.

The BEVA Trust Peter Rossdale Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) Open Award was presented to Dr Franziska Wohlfender for the paper ‘International online survey to assess current practice in equine anaesthesia’ by F.D Wolfender, M.G Doherr, B Driessen, S Hartnack, GM Johnston & R Bettschart-Wolfensberger. The article was first published online in April 2014 and then January 2015, Volume 47 of the Equine Veterinary Journal.

This award is given for the paper that best achieves the EVJ’s mission to publish articles which influence and improve clinical practice and/or add significantly to the scientific knowledge that underpins and supports veterinary medicine in relation to the horse. The award is made by the BEVA Trust, in recognition of Peter Rossdale’s immense contribution to BEVA and EVJ.

The Voorjaarsdagen and BEVA Awards were introduced in 2005 to mark the close relationship between the two Associations. The award is selected and presented biannually, once at the Voorjaarsdagen Congress and once at BEVA Congress, and is open to all those presenting a Clinical Research paper.

This year’s BEVA Award winner is Ellen Paulussen DVM for her paper on ‘Radiographic and Ultrasonographic Evaluation of the Esophagus in the Horse’. Ellen’s presentation won the award at the Voorjaarsdagen Congress in April 2016; she will present it again during the Clinical Research Sessions at BEVA Congress.

The reciprocal Voorjaarsdagen Award winner will be selected from those presenting Clinical Research papers at this year’s BEVA Congress. Their prize will be free registration to Voorjaarsdagen Congress 2017 where they will have the opportunity to present their paper again.

The Sam Hignett Award will be presented for the best clinical research presentation from general equine practice at BEVA Congress, with the winner to be announced after Congress.